1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for activating a catalyst using the photothermal properties of photothermal nanomaterials, and more particularly to a method of activating a catalyst at a temperature, at which the catalyst has low or no activity, by irradiating light into a reaction medium to which either the catalyst and photothermal nanomaterials or a catalyst-photothermal nanomaterial composite has been added.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A catalyst functions to increase the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being consumed in the reaction and is used in a very wide range of applications.
Most catalysts have the highest activity at their optimum temperatures. Enzyme that is a kind of catalyst catalyzes a biochemical reaction in vivo and plays a key role in maintaining the homeostasis of life. Generally, enzymes show high catalytic activities under mild conditions, including room temperature, natural pH and atmospheric pressure. However, chemical catalysts show optimum activity in the show optimum activity temperature range from room temperature to 500° C. or higher, and some of enzymes produced from microbial thermophiles recently found in hot springs or volcanoes show optimum activities at relatively high temperatures close to 100° C. Generally, enzymes produced from thermophiles have the same function as enzymes produced from mesophiles while they stably perform enzymatic reactions under extreme reaction conditions (such as high temperature) in which mesophiles are denatured. Thus, these enzymes have been of industrial interest.
Meanwhile, thermophilic enzymes have good stability, but lack the low-energy and environmentally friendly advantages of enzymes, because they should react at high temperatures. When catalytic reactions occur at higher temperatures, the side reactions of reaction substrates and reaction products are more likely to occur, and a larger amount of energy is consumed. Thus, if a catalyst can react at a very low temperature while maintaining its activity, it will be very useful.